The Libertarian Case for Ken Cuccinelli

Let me begin by noting that, as a “small ‘L'” libertarian, I find some of Ken Cuccinelli’s policy positions deeply disconcerting. That said, I will gladly pull the (computerized) lever for him on Tuesday, because his opponent – who has never held elected office and whose sole claim to fame is being a high-dollar fundraiser for Bill Clinton – is so very much worse on almost every issue. In this case, there’s a titular Libertarian running, but in truth, if you look beyond a couple of social issues, he seems far less libertarian than Cuccinelli himself. In fact, here’s an editorial making the case that, if elected, Ken Cuccinelli will be perhaps the most libertarian governor in the country.

If you believe the polls, the race is tightening, and Cuccinelli has a good shot at winning if Virginia’s libertarians aren’t fooled by a so-called “Libertarian” candidate who is in favor of tax hikes, and against Austrian economics. In fact, if you’re considering voting for the Libertarian candidate because you’re concerned about Cuccinelli’s respect for privacy rights, keep in mind that you’d be voting instead for someone who has advocated a vehicle-miles tax that would require the installation of a government-monitored “black box” in every personally-owned vehicle in the state.

You could vote for the so-called “Libertarian” . . . or you could vote for a Republican who agrees with you on 80% of the issues, and actually has a shot at beating the Democrat who agrees with you only on the other 20%. Speaking for myself, I’ll take the latter, thank you.